By Jim Duncan CVFDude@aol.com

Over the years, Des Moines has looked upon Omaha's food scene with green eyed envy. Through the 1980's, high rollers at the Nebraska city's race track encouraged a broader spectrum of upscale restaurants than were found here. Prairie Meadows stole their horse hoof thunder, but not their restaurant lightening. Omaha's Old Market revival was years ahead of Court Avenue in cosmopolitanism, with French, South Asian and Middle Eastern cafès of renown. Their steakhouses always had bigger national reputations than ours. Finally, in the last few years, independent restaurants in Des Moines, many owned by chefs from other parts of America, began to turn the tide in fine dining options. But Omaha still cleaned our clock on the ethnic level. One place particularly held court for the Nebraskans. Des Moines never had anything like Joe Tess Fish Market. Until now.

Richard and Casandra Lowery have plunged head first into the great soul food void of Central Iowa. Not only is their cafè on East 14th open for business, but it's in the process of adding a full service, Joe Tess style fresh fish market, one that will specialize in the great forgotten fish of the Midwest. Already the specials we've enjoyed in the restaurant have revived two of the great secret pleasures of life here in Iowa -- buffalo fish and carp. Both had been virtually impossible to find the last two years, after every soul food restaurant in town closed down. The Lowerys prepare them gloriously, with a corn bread batter bringing out the deep flavors of these serious bottom fish.

This is also my new favorite place in town for fried chicken, consistently golden brown and tender to the bone, fried crisp in its own seasoned wheat flour batter. And at $4.99-$6.99 for 2 to 4 piece dinners, they are a bargain. They also offer gizzards and livers, two things that are nearly impossible to find in town without going to an Italian restaurant.

This is not the end of the good news. Other fish choices include cod, trout, walleye, catfish and salmon. The Lowerys promise fried oysters when their season comes around again, as well as crab legs. There is also barbecue, pork shoulder, chicken and ribs that hold their own with the growing number of Q options, plus Philly steak sandwiches and guinea grinders. But all these options are trumped by the excellent side dishes. Some would call them "vegetables," but this being southern style cooking, that wouldn't be accurate.

The southern fried cabbage was wondrous, tasting of all the primary southern food groups - lard, salt and sweetener. This dish is so popular that the cafè runs out of it, so get there early. Greens are quite good, in all their inconsistent varieties. I ordered them three times and they were completely different each time, once mustard greens, once collard greens and, I would swear, once beet greens (though the cook said otherwise).

Spaghetti is offered as a vegetable side dish too and it's one of the better versions around. Red beans and rice featured kidney beans. Jambalaya starred chicken sausage. Cole slaw had an elevating bite. Mashed potatoes and gravy and macaroni and cheese were the only sides I wouldn't order a second time. They just don't measure up to the others and fried green tomato season is approaching fast.

Home made pies, including a fine sweet potato, are offered daily.

Off the Hook
1100 East 14th Street
265-1662
Mon.-Thurs.: 11-2 and 5-9
Fri. - Sat.: 11 -10
Sun.: noon - 9

Food Skinny

The extraordinary La Corsette Maison in Newton is for sale. We feared that the sale of Maytag would produce casualties and suspect that this might be one...Arceo's Mexican Market, 3504 Merle Hay, brings some eastside tienda charm to northwest Des Moines...Golden Coral closed their Ankeny store over Memorial Day weekend. The location on East 1st is slated for a Bandana's Bar-B-Q, a St. Louis chain that burns only real wood and has drawn some favorable reviews from the critical Q press.

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